New Crimson Tide Offensive Coordinator expected to be Nick Sheridan
By Ronald Evans
On Tuesday morning, multiple, credible sources, including Matt Zenitz reported Kalen DeBoer is expected to name Nick Sheridan as the next Alabama Crimson Tide offensive coordinator. Sheridan was already part of the new Crimson Tide staff as the tight ends coach.
Previous speculation was that Sheridan and JaMarcus Shepard would be named by DeBoer as co-OCs. That could still happen.
Kalen DeBoer knows exactly what Sheridan brings to an OC role. Sheridan is only 35, but he has connections with DeBoer going back to 2019. In the 2019 season, Sheridan was the tight ends coach at Indiana while DeBoer was the Hoosiers' OC. After two seasons as the OC and quarterbacks coach at Indiana in 2020 and 2021, Sheridan joined DeBoer's Washington staff as the tight ends coach for the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
Sheridan played quarterback at Michigan. In addition to his four seasons coaching Indiana quarterbacks, Sheridan was a QB coach and Passing Game Coordinator at Western Kentucky (2012) and South Florida (2013).
Some Alabama football fans will point to Sheridan's career as a mixture of success and failure. He was fired by South Florida. But leaning and being involved in Kalen DeBoer's offense changed the trajectory of Sheridan's career. Since DeBoer is obviously sold on Sheridan, Alabama Crimson Tide fans should be as well. At least, he deserves an opportunity to prove he is the right fit at the right time for the Alabama Crimson Tide.
As much as anything, what DeBoer gets in Sheridan is an OC who understands his system and will implement it in Tuscaloosa with no need for a learning curve.
Still to be hired or assigned by Kalen DeBoer are the coaching functions at tight end and special teams. One of the new staff members might also take on special teams. Or a coach could be added to coach tight ends and special teams. DeBoer does have an off-field Special Teams Coordinator already hired.
The major assistant coaching gap left unfilled is the Tide's new Offensive Line assistant. It will surprise no one if the new O-line coach is someone Kalen DeBoer has worked with before.